Thanet election 2021: Results for county seats and district and town by-elections

92 Comments

1. Looks like the winner is apathy

   • With turnouts of 30% or less, no one can with any credibility complain about what our councils do or don’t do.
     Quite shocking.

     • History has shown that thanet suffers from poor governance no matter which lot are in the big seat, as such a lack of interest in proceedings is quite understandable.

     • Why turn up to vote for a bunch of people not worthy of the seats and knowone worthy put forward! Same old faces with same type of people do the same old thing!!

       • Exactly my thinking but i did vote but not for the usual bunch .

       • Perhaps you could put yourself forward as a councillor to offer an alternative vision?

         • The best would be the Alternative Vote system of electing councillors, and MP’s! If we had Proportional Representation whereby every vote counted, then perhaps more people would vote! At the moment with the First Past the Post system, many votes are discarded!

         • Perhaps if we had Proportional Representation as a system of voting, more people would vote, as every vote would be counted!

         • You just need to look at Italy to see where PR gets you , endless failing governments and more elections to achieve the same. For all its faults at least FPTP gives who ever wins a chance of actually doing what they want.
           Would you have supported PR when UKip did so well in 2015, their 12.6% of votes would have given them around 40 seats in westminster. That would have shaken things up.
           Too often the PR idea is trotted out by those looking to justify the failure of their own chosen group.

   • Well if people can’t be bothered to vote, they shouldn’t complain about the result.

     • More likely that people believe whoever they vote for nothing will change-history bears it out.

     • I didn’t vote for the simple reason none of the candidates inspired me to do so. One or two I know to be idiots. Complain? Of course I can complain.

   • I am a bit confused, nothing new there then! Kathy can we have a list of who is who now on TDC? Are Labour still in control?

     • TDC was just three by elections as the seats were vacant. Labour is currently the administration running things

2. I did vote but think the turnout speaks for itself , what they say and what they do are two different things , maybe people not bothered about going to vote , what’s the point nothing changes , all parties seem the same to me.

   • The parties maybe but the people contesting them are unique

3. I’m truly gutted. I did turn out.

4. I’m truly gutted. I did turn out to vote.

5. Who got KCC Ramsgate?

   • not yet announced

6. Honk honk its Trwvor Shonk.

   • Ex-Ukip Martyn Heale’s application for Conservative membership was recently rejected by South Thanet Conservative Association. It should have been the same regarding Trevor Shonk, Heale’s former Ukip side-kick. Who said there’s no morality in politics?

7. I have voted from the day l was of age because of all the suffragettes went through l would let them down by not voting even though sometimes a lot of these politicians are a waste of space

   • Same here Christine and I am so disappointed at the poor turnout. We had not one leaflet through our letterbox nor any information – but on the Voting Cards there were links to follow on-line. We are in the Birchington/Villages group.

8. If the Green and Labour votes in Newington were combined, Shonk (Con, ex UKIP) would have been beaten hands down..

   • which would mean the Green’s split the Labour vote and let in the ex kipper

     • No, labour split their own vote. If you want to beat the tories, vote green.

   • Yeah, and pigs might fly

9. I’d never vote for half of these scruffs! At least Ros and Trevor have made an effort.

   • Shonk was removed from the Kippers for being a racist now standing for Tories LOL

   • Ros thinks the NHS should introduces charges and not be free at the point of use. She told me this in a conversation. You probably agree tho don’t you Peter?

     • What on earth makes you think that?

       • I would’ve been dead 2 and 1/2 years ago if it wasn’t for the NHS.

         • Peter – twice my life has been saved by NHS QEQM in past fourteen years and I am ever grateful to all the staff. I find people like Carly Jeffrey quite impossible and very sad. My fathers brothers sacrifice for freedom as a Japanese POW in Burma was obviously a waste for some people!

         • Carly is obviously just one of those people who throws random accusations at people simply because we disagree on an entirely different subject. Sad.

   • This is about local political representation. It’s not a fashion show!

     • No, but I still expect anyone representing me to look the part. Standards are so low these days.

   • Made an effort to do what exactly? The picture of the Green Party candidate reflects the fact that she was out doing something useful for the community picking up rubbish left behind by selfish people. When was the last time Shonk ever did anything constructive?

     • Fair comment, but the bloke in the pink shirt looks like he’s just got out of bed, and obviously doesn’t own an iron.

       • Putting store by appearance (even less than skin deep) is obviously incredibly shallow. I want people who care about people and the natural world not air-heads or
         racists who dress well!

         • Pride in appearance is an outward expression of the person within. It is also a mark of self-respect. You can still care about others when dressed well.
           I take it your reference to “racists who dress well” is a snide swipe at Trevor “we are all racists” Shonk. Don’t send a letter to him because he doesn’t answer them. As a Ukip councillor he did absolutely nothing.

10. More lunatics for the asylum

11. Recount the Mary King and Shonk votes maybe Mary could win

    • Tony, you should have been there. There was a recount, exactly the same result. Shows what a good job the electoral staff were doing. The people have spoken (now where have I heard that before).

    • The votes are counted three times, controlled again 3 times. If he wins by 1 vote, he wins… that’s it…he won by 5 votes, fairly and squarely. No re-count necessary.

12. I feel the downfall of humanity and kindness has begun. Think of your own pockets and ignore the deprived. Let’s vaccinate ourselves and ignore the poor in India. In the end it will not matter. We will all be measured on our kindness to each other. Rich or poor the variants will not choose. Boris!

    • India is the largest manufacturer of the Covid vaccine, in fact they have been the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer for years, they had a terrible roll out system and profited from selling abroad. India are wealthy in many ways, they will be the fourth country to send a human to space next year for example. I dont think the human race is becoming less considerate, look at Astra producing at cost price for example.

13. Racism > litter picking.

14. “The downfall of humanity and kindness has begun”? The Tories have been in power for years, and things weren’t all sweetness and light before that, if ever.

    • Martha, the results speak for themselves.

      Conservatives almost consigned labour to history in the GE and that has again been repeated in the local election. Now we can focus on getting the airport back up and running.

      • And how are you going to do that?

        • By focusing on reality, and not interrupted by a bunch of anti-semite supporters.

      • Ramsgate residents can do nothing about the airport now.

        Who are the “anti-semite supporters”?

    • Then the labourparty needs to represent the views and aspirations of amajority of the electorate rather keep trying to forceminority viewson them. Those pulling themlevers in the labour party don’t seem to realise that the vast majority in the country really don’t care how people wish to live, identity, race, religion, sex mean little to them. They might find some choices odd, but it doesn’t bother them . Instead they are interested in improving their lives and those of their family and loved ones, want a decent job, decent services , education, healthe services etc. The minority groups really have little to fear in what is one of the most tolerant and accepting countries on the planet. Get the basics at the top of the list of priorities and the labour party might attract enough support to get the big seat and actually have some input into the nations future. At the moment they’re in chocolate fireguard territory as even an opposition and about as likely to get a tick on a ballot paper as an ashtray would on a duccatti’’s option list.
      Much as i’m a conservative voter, the country needs a decent opposition, to keep a bit of balance and offer the chance of possible change.

15. Would like to know how many women voted out of that 29%
    After fighting so much years ago

16. I am quite happy with the results and also good to see some green party candidates come into the mix too.

17. Bit embarrassing how the current TDC leader Helen Whitehead and Cabinet colleague Rob Yates both got a hammering. Shows what the locals think of the way they are running TDC even though the vote was for KCC.

    • I’ve not met Rob Yates , but Helen Whitehead is even more underwhelming in person than her pronouncements and integrity. Already elevated far beyond her abilities. But good on her for getting to where she has , just a bit disapointing that its the best her ward can attract.

18. The turnout was a sad reflection on how little these people engage with locals, and the locals belief that their vote is not worth their time. I have no affiliation to any party, I vote for who I think will serve our area the best. But this vote makes me feel that you could dress a cat up and stick a blue rosette on and it would have been voted in.

    • I feel a bit of bitterness in your comments. Me and most others vote for the people we believe would do a better job then others. Because the person you voted for did not win dose not make the winner worthless. Sick it up. People where saying what you are when l as labour was in power for many years.

      • No, not bitterness, disappointment. Thanet like many areas is not truly represented by the people. The same people who have constantly let us down with poor planning, poor vision, well poor everything, are back in power. Over the years we will see constant moaning by people on here of how poor the area is run. If those moaning failed to get off the couch and vote then they ought to keep quiet.

    • Turn out was low and I was one who didnt vote. Why ?

      Well no one from any party canvassed my area. Nothing through door, no flyers etc. No one came to the door to canvass votes. To be honest I totally forgot it was voting day in the same way all candidates forgot to canvass for my vote.

      It may be childish but if the parties cant be arsed to work for my vote they dont get it.

      Only the Tories put one flyer through my door, perhaps it’s the area I live that its seen as a safe tory area so other parties dont bother with. But I am not s middle class arty person so would never vote tory, but a proud working class person that other parties ignore sadly.

      • All parties were NOT permitted to canvess because of covid restrictions until after Easter, so that is why door knocking was limited

        • Handy that I usually get three lots that knock at lunch time or when i am busy .
          Why don’t they knock say 6 Months or 12 after the election to say what they have done not what they hope too.
          The public have a good memory and think they would remember them nice people who took time to call and say what they have done.
          But no we got or didn’t get your vote, Sundays is for golf and backhanders.
          I read a few have resigned from TDC over money that has been lost.

19. The selection of Trevor Shonk by the Tories illustrates the depths to which they will sink to win a seat. Shonk is a shameless bigot with nothing between the ears! He has been heard making many a racist remark when he was with Ukip. Roz Binks has made clear her utter contempt for Craig Mackinlay on many occasions, so obviously demonstrates a total lack of loyalty and integrity in respect of the current Tory MP in keeping with the Tory propensity for back-stabbing. A more duplicitous woman would be hard to find! Well done Tricia Austin of the Green party for denying Trevor Shonk a seat on Ramsgate Town Council! At least there will be one authentic voice speaking up for Ramsgate!

20. This is the only time I didn’t vote, purely because of the UK Governments COVID-19 guidance from 2020. My wife has been shielding for over a year, because of her terminal illness. She lost her job of 30 years because she was told shielding ends 31.10.2020, her manager advised her she would have to undergo an occupational health review the 01/11/2020, leading to dismissal on ill health grounds with no pay.
    Saturday 31.10.2020, BJ announces to extend the furlough, by then it was to late, my wife has lost her job, has a terrible illness, unable to work and no pay.

    • Thank you for sharing your story. I feel deeply sad for yourself and wife. Unfortunately your story is probably not an isolated case. This world can be a very cruel one and some people’s actions can make it worse. Your poor wife loosing her job after 30 years whilst having cancer. This is typical of a capitalst world where everyone is replaced with out a thought. I am so please that my occupation helps people and not condems them through occupational health. I send my love to the both of you and promise to fight for kindness and fairness 💚

      • I’m sorry I assumed your wife’s terminal illness was cancer. Apologies xxx

21. How can the system work with totally unqualified people in charge? Same old dull people without a clue between them. The voter turn-out says it all.

    • Anyone can put themselves forward and join the world of local politics, much as we may not find the choices appetising just shows unappealing local politics is those of any realtalent/ability. The district is skint, likely has lots of undisclosed / off book liabilities and strangled by years of poor decision making.
      When the only real chance of digging ourselves out of the mess in a generation would rely on winning a triple euromillions rollover , the vast majority would decide not to believe they can make much of a difference to the poison chalice of TDC.

22. The tories could have put my Nan up for election and she would have won.

    • The last time the Tories had a fight on their hands ( UKIP ) the to6had to resort to cheating to make sure they won by breaking the rules and over spending. Yet the MP Wasn’t kicknout for cheating lol. Politics is to bent for me.

23. I know our voting system isnt great, but it seems ‘funny’ that in most cases the winner has less than the votes for all the other candidates. So most who went to vote didnt vote for the winner !

    • ie more voted against the winner than for the winner ! So the winner only represents a small section of the community.

24. I voted Labour for Broadstairs and live in York St, however we received no Labour flyers or information about the Broadstairs Town Plan, nor were we canvassed by any of the parties and my husband and I both work from home and rarely go out. Those flyers we did receive ftom the Greens and Conservatives did not really explain much about what would or could be done to help the area. So it seems it seems it wasn’t just voter apathy at play here.

25. Same old Drivel. Only there because they don’t want to work for a living

26. #Labour lost in #Hartlepool and elsewhere because it is finally dawning on the white working class that the Labour Party is run by people who hate them.

    • When Starmer and his kind refer to “working people” and not the “working class” then you know Labour has been destroyed as a true socialist party. Kinnock and Blair started the rot and now Starmer completes it. Horus Bonson is right. These liberal-minded middle class Woke Labour usurpers hate the white working class. They think more of gender politics and rubbish like that.

      • We are an elitist society. One which fits the Capitalist’s ethos very well. It makes me very sad to think that the ideals of socialism, where people work together for the benefit if all, are losing ground with many people in the UK today.

        • We are becoming Americanised whereby competition and not co-operation is the ideal choice. Everything must be sold off for profit alone. It has been turned into a global phenomenon with the super-wealthy grabbing whatever they want. The people within the UK have been conditioned to think this is the norm and that socialism is somehow evil for opposing this state of affairs. Unfortunately, Starmer’s Labour Party has foresaken its socialist roots in order to pay lip-service to the status quo.

        • No we’re a society where we expect to reap the rewards for our efforts/ labour/ ability, but are quite happy to pay a portion in taxes to provide for those who truly are unable to make their way way unaided, just as its accepted that defence, health, education, law and order etc are best provided by pooled funding.

          What people don’t accept is the way the safety net seems to stretch ever wider and cost ever more. The best example is the concept of social housing provision on new developments, only the trully idealistic want to work all week , budget and economise to buy their house and see their next door neighbours have curtains drawn till noon emerging to wander about aimlessly with not a care in the world knowing its allpaid for by others and have the full knowledge that they can do pretty much as they wish with no censure. ( bit of a stereotype but it happens).

          • The problem is always economic. It is a lack of good jobs along with a livable wage. How can ordinary people have this when pay is cut in cut-throat competition? Don’t blame those with very little. It is the employers who use them to keep costs down in order to compete nationally and globally. Pay is always the first casualty in this. People should not have to work for peanuts.

          • Robert Henry , I blame no one. How ever there needs to be “reality check” / “ wake up and smell the coffee” moment. Stop offering a land of bountiful plenty to all and sundry for nothing. Instead instill the value of education and achievement.
            If Westwoodcross were in Asia after the schools turned out the coffee shops etc would be full of kids doing their homework and studying. The students doing so because they believed in the value of education. All very well blaming employers but when the workforce has little to offer than the ability to do monotonous repetitive tasks the business model dictates you use people only because it is cheaper than machines and where you are competing with the likes of china the margins are slim on labour costs and reliant on subsidy (tax credits) to make your business work.
            We need a highly skilled workforce , in the absence of which per capita domestic product is insufficient to sustain the standards of living the nation would wish to have.
            Whilst you have classes of 15 year olds that can’t have a chemistry lesson where the practical can’t include glue and scissors or a nation where parents can’t manage to get their kids to school or be available for online nhs therapy , there’s a problem. Socialism is all well and good but has two major failings

            You eventually run out of other peoples money

            If you pay the poor too much , there are too many who choose to be poor

          • Sincere apologies, not sure why i typed Henry. Surely cannot have been some sort of predictive text.

27. FFS we get rid of the clown Messenger and get the thicko Shonk ??

28. LC … Socialism has nothing to do with keeping a section of the population in idleness and hopelessness. Socialism is a theory of the state that says the people should own the means of production, distribution and exchange. No one wants an under-class doing nothing and simply rotting away. We want people in work, earning a good wage, in order to put food on the table for their families. End competition and promote co-operation then you can create a fair society. Your society is not fair because it is based on exploitation of the worse off by the better off. In international competition you find large lower wage economies succeed simply because lower wages reduce costs. Simple economics.

    • I’m not saying that socialism intends to create an idle underclass, but the “ideal” socialism neglects the fact that there are a considerable number of people who if offered the chance to do nothing on the back of the states largesse and a bit of petty crime to top things up, the socialist ideal in its quest for ever greater redistribution would only increase this number.
      You’ve only to look at the poor atttude of far too many families to the value of an education to see that there are those who really have no intention of “owning the means” available to them.
      Does your socialist view allow those that have worked hard and made sacrifices others choose not to to retain more of what they earn, on a simplistic level for example someone that chooses to work 12 hours a day 7 days a week for months on end in foreign climes to make their lives better in the long term? Or would you wish to squash that work ethic by increased taxation to try and give those less inclined to try “greater means”.
      I’ve no doubt that there are perfect models of both capitilism and socialism but both choose not to ake into account human nature, greed and sloth being two of the extremes.
      I’m a landlord in cliftonville the things i’ve seen would make any sane person gasp in shock and disbelieve the way some choose to live and their associated behaviours. That there were far too many innthe area is what gave it its reputation and rightly so. What they all have in common is a lack of education, decent upbringing , work ethic , yet a willingness to take anything they can for nothing.
      That thanet earth largely employs migrants surely shows theres an issue with the legions of the unemployed in thanet , it should have provided a stepping stone back into work for hundreds of low skilled workers in the years its been operating.

      • LC … I emppathise with your personal situation and what you see around Cliftonville. I remember it as a boy (I am now 73) when it was vibrant. It was then the posh end of Margate. Now, it it populated by people from other lands who do not share our way of life. It is now regarded as a sh*t hole. Then we have the problem of drugs and alcoholism which is a curse on society. No amount of education and training can change that. Is this all a symptom of a nation’s decline after an imperial past?

        • The things i have seen were largely the actions of born and bred “thanetians’ not that over the years we’ve not added whole new of cultural behaviours and attitudes , some beneficial others most certainly not. But there’s no appetite to accept the problems or address them. I lost total faith in the authorities when the kiddy brothel in Arthur Road was raided and closed but no legal action taken in order to not stigmatise the section of the community involved, the girls went into care and the perpetrators were asked to leave the country.
          As for suggesting a colonial past is possibly the reason for some of the problems , I see no merit in such an argument. Its nothing more than another excuse for those that wish to attack the establishment.
          Human nature is the root of most issues along with efforts to ameliorate the problems by throwing ever more cash at the problematic.
          Our political and social views are patently poles apart , but i sense that we both wish things to be better for all via very different means. Very refreshing to have a polite sensible discourse , which is often sadly lacking on here.
          All the best

29. LC … I did not say our “colonial” (imperial) past is a reason for the current malaise. I suggested it was part of the symptom of our decline. Empires rise and empires fall, history teaches us. Nothing stands still, as such.
    Cliftonville is one example. When a population moves away in order for another to take over you get an inevitable disruption. Pride in the area goes first. Then a local economy collapses. There is never any going back to a better time. In Britain, we once had a thriving working class. It was called the industrial working class. The erosion of our great industries threw most on the scrapheap of social life. My father was a Welsh miner who was never out of work. Fortunately for him, he retired before all the pits in Kent were closed.

    • Apologies for misunderstanding. Most certainly opportunities were sqaundered when the countries industrial base went into decline ( an inevitable necessity to a great degree in an advancing economy) that those put out of work were far too often allowed to remain unemployed rather than retrained is atragic waste of both skills and the north sea revenues that were used to pay for people to do nothing.

      • LC … Which is the fault of successive governments lacking the will to act. We still have this state of political inertia today.